Happy Friday!

The start of a new year...

2009 has come and gone and what a year it was! We were blessed with our little angel in April, and our lives haven't been the same since. We spent 2009 pretty much adjusting to life as a threesome. It took a while for parenthood to sink in, and it did, in such a wonderful way. I might sound like a broken record, but Emma continues to surprise us and amaze us everyday. She is a full-fledged crawler, has 8 teeth, and is a little machine, getting into EVERYTHING. She can really book it when she's crawling and is becoming more vocal and headstrong. She really is coming into her own little personality. It's just fascinating to watch. Conor's sisters took care of her yesterday afternoon and they taught her how to high 5. And now when you say "high 5" and hold out your hand, she giggles and laughs and hits your hands. If I get this excited over a high 5, what am I going to do when she starts walking and talking?

My dad says that if a week goes by and he has not seen her, she looks like a different little girl. For me the changes are much more gradual, probably because she is always with me. She just had her 9 month check up and she is in the 97th percentile for height. Basketball, anyone? In January, Emma went on her first flight. I think I was worried for no reason. We flew to see Conor's sister and our nephew, and Emma was an angel on both the flights going and coming back. Conor and I have been going nonstop it seems this new year, so I feel like my blog posts have been slacking.

Here's a medley of my favorite shots from the past month. Enjoy!!!

On the plane, headed to Denver!

It was a good thing we had a row all to ourselves!

At Wonderwild, a play place in Houston. It was Emma's first time in the ball pit and she loved it.

Holding her own bottle. Momma's so proud.

Why buy toys? All you need is a bag full of junk, and you get some big smiles :)

What keeps a tired, cranky kid busy and content right before boarding a plane? A Twizzler. That's what.

The best smile to wake up to in the morning.

Emma's cousin, Harrison, greeting Emma at the airport with a kiss.

Daddy helping us check in at the airport in Houston.

5:30 am is too early for anyone to be waking up, especially Emma...

Holding on to the dining table, but not quiet figuring out how to get back down...

"Oh, there's a pacifier on the floor!"

Another day, another dirty face...

From her 9 month chair portraits...

Watching cartoons and eating La Madeleine biscuits that grandma brought... YUM!!!

Cousin Harrison waiting patiently for Emma.

An aspiring idol... hahaha

Harrison reading a book in Jack's lap.

These 2 had so much fun playing together. Wish they lived closer...

Smiling for her auntie Moran!

Emma loved this train table.

Harrison and me :)

Cousins at play.

Emma Adelaide's first Christmas

We had a wonderful time this Christmas with so many family and friends. I tried to contain myself and not go overboard with presents, and I must say that I did pretty well. Emma's big present this year was a rocking horse, which she loves. She holds on tight while we rock it and she will give out little squeals and smiles. I also got her her first doll (which she could really care less about), and some other fun "busy" toys. On Christmas Eve we went to Conor's grandmother's house for her annual Christmas Eve reading. Conor's grandmother, Bebe, gave her the most adorable little chair, which she sat on without any problems the entire time Bebe read her Christmas story. We then went to my aunt's house for a wonderful Christmas Eve dinner with family. Emma had a great time with her cousins, Olivia, Katie and Evan (ages 11, 9, and 16 months, respectively).

Christmas Day morning was spent at our home with our little family of three. Conor and I have decided to open our presents after we get home on Christmas Eve, that way we can enjoy some quiet time when Emma is asleep, and Christmas morning can be spent with Emma opening and enjoying her presents. (Santa was great to mommy this year! I got a Wii Fit Plus and a set of golf clubs and a golf bag!) After we enjoyed our Christmas morning at home, we went to Conor's parents' house to continue the Christmas morning tradition. We opened stockings upstairs, presents downstairs, and had a wonderful omelet breakfast. After a short nap at home, we went to my parents' for dinner and opened up more presents. We had some family friends in town for a wedding we were all going to on Saturday, so it was nice catching up.

I know this is a Christmas blog entry, but so much has happened in the past few weeks. Emma is now a full fledged crawler and she will pull herself up on anything that is even remotely stable. While Conor and I were at a wedding Saturday night, Conor's sister and her husband, Sterling and Guga, babysat Emma for us. When we got home, they told us that she had climbed the entire staircase twice!!!!! I know little boys and girls are supposed to be different in their behaviors as babies and toddlers, but this little one is fearless!

Listening very carefully to Bebe reading on Christmas eve!

Evan and Emma with my parents and our good family friend, Olga.

Emma loves her grandpa

Emma getting some lovin' from Grandma

Christmas morning at our house

She LOVES this giraffe. So does our dog who constantly mistakes it for one of his rubbery squeaky toys.

The smile that melts my heart.

Hmmmm... which present should I open next...

Our tree this year was Emma's tree (which is probably how it will be every year from now on). We didn't have any breakable ornaments on it, it was filled with lots of soft ornaments and toys. We thought it was fitting as this was our first Christmas with a little one in the home.

Christmas morning... In case I forgot to tell you, Emma's new thing is blowing raspberries...

This is one of those moments where the parent is more excited than the child. Emma could care less right now about her first doll. I even wrapped her presents in tissue paper so that she would have fun opening them. Yeah, these things really don't matter. Lessons learned.

At Conor's parents' house Christmas Day... we learned that Emma LOVES candy canes. ALOT. I hadn't even realized that she had broken through the plastic and had been sucking on the candy cane for quiet some time.

Conor had the live chicken. I had the cooked chicken. Emma was confused by it all.

Smile! Hanging out with Conor's sisters and our brother-in-law.

Dancin' to Dylan with her Tias...

Happy holidays to everyone and may your new year be filled with many blessings!